ICEBOX® Igloo Tool | Backpacking | Winter Camping

Using the ICEBOX® Igloo Tool

The pivot pole length is adjusted as you build each igloo block layer. When adjusting the pole, the tool helps you easily and reliably make a complete and habitable igloo dome. To use the tool, first set the tool in place with the clamps reset on the tool form. Next, fill the tool form with snow which results in the snow forming interlocking ice crystals as it is packed causing the blocks to become stable.

Pack the snow in the form as it is shoveled in. This will mold and attach the new igloo block to the previous layer and adjacent igloo block. Once the form is packed, pull up the clamps to release the form.

Creating the Catenary Structure

Next, move the tool to the next position and repeat the process. After finishing an entire layer, adjust the pole to the numbered hole corresponding to the layer you will be building. The first three blocks are partially filled to create a three block ramp. That ramp exists as each layer comes around and goes up the ramp creating a spiral. Once the top layers are reached, the outside panel is removed and snow is simply placed and packed onto the inside panel of the tool until the igloo is complete.

ICEBOX® Igloo Building Tool For Igloo Snow Shelter Building. Igloo/Snow camping is an adventure rooted in ancient traditions. Grand Shelters has brought this ancient tradition to the mainstream by developing a tool to make building an igloo easier. The ICEBOX® Tool has been used thousands of times all over the world.